Skin Cancer Survival Rate – What is Your Chance if You Have Skin Cancer

Skin cancer survival rate depends on the types of cancer. Generally, skin cancer is not something to worry about because the survival rate is actually high. Nevertheless, it is still important that this kind of cancer is treated as early as possible. The skin will be greatly damaged if there is no immediate treatment even if it still be cured.

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Skin cancer survival rate

To know the skin cancer survival rates, let’s learn the different types. There are three types of skin cancer namely basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer. Both basal and squamous cell skin cancer are non-melanoma. This means the cells located on the outer layer of skin are the affected parts. They are not as dangerous as melanoma which is the most critical among the types. In fact, the skin cancer survival rate of melanoma has the lowest.

Squamous and basal cell skin cancer survival rate is very high. It ranges from 97 to 99% so you do not have to worry and fear. Yet, affected regions include the face, neck, ears and the entire body parts that mostly exposed to the sun. The good news is that these types of skin cancer do not easily spread to one part to another.

Melanoma skin cancer is the cancer that affects the cells that produce pigment or the skin coloring which is called the melanin. Melanin is the protection against harmful effects caused by the sun. This skin cancer is the most serious so the skin cancer survival rate is quite low compared to the other two types of cancer. Most of the deaths recorded due to skin cancer are caused by this type of cancer. There are around thousands of deaths because of melanoma skin cancer.

Like other dangerous cancers, melanoma skin cancer has stages. Depending on the stages of skin cancer survival rate varies. Stage 1 of this skin cancer has 86 to 97% of 5-year survival rate. The survival rate of stage 2 is between 75 to 80%. Stage 3 skin cancer survival rate is getting low. It ranges from 45 to 78% of 5-year survival rate. Stage 4 skin cancer survival rate has the lowest which is 15 to 20%. Generally, the average 5-year survival rate of melanoma skin cancer is 90%.

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Aside from extreme sun exposure, there are a few factors of skin cancer. One is fair or lighter complexion. That’s why white people are the usual victim of this cancer. Tanning beds are also a factor of skin cancer because this kind of machine contains ultraviolet radiation. A person may also get skin cancer due to family history in which one of his bloodline from the earlier generation had an experience of this.

It is easy to detect if you have skin cancer. Any abnormal changes on the skin like the growing of red lumps, bleeding, itching and burning are symptoms of the cancer. If these signs are noticed and cured easily, there is an increase on the general skin cancer survival rate.

Skin cancer is certainly prevented if you stay away from too much exposure to the sun and other sources of ultraviolet rays. When you go out to exercise e, make sure that it is not during the time from 10 in the morning to 4 at noon. Those times have the highest level of ultraviolet rays.

Skin cancer is also curative especially if it is diagnosed as early as possible. There are different methods executed to cure this cancer. Surgery is the most common method but sometimes chemotherapy, radiation therapy and photodynamic therapy are also recommended to effectively heal the condition.